Felting-machine.



G. MUENCH FELTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED we. I3. 1914.

1 1 87,476 Patented June 13, 1916.

3a 3 SHEETS--SHEET C. G. MUENCH. l FELTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-I3, I914.

Patented Tl 1H6 13, 1916.

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FELTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.I3. 1914.

1. 1. 8?,476 Patented June 13, 1916.

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CARL G. MUENCII, OF INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MINNESOTA.

FELTING-MACHINE.

Felting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is the production of a machine which is particularly adapted for felting the tailings, screenings or other products received from a pulp mill 5 whereby said material is formed into a strip, sheet or plate of any thickness suitable for insulating structures from heat and cold and protecting against the transmission of sound. a

' A further object is the production of a machine which will economically manufacture a product out of said material of even texture and of sufficient strength to enable its use for general structural purposes.

. To these ends my invention comprises the features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan of my invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line X-X of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line YY, of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side View of a detail of the invention, and Fig. 6 is a plan of a detail showing a portion of a screen and one of the belts which carries the screen.

In the drawings, A indicates a tank formed with a receiver B in one end into which a baffle board 2 depends. A feed pipe C having a controllingvalve3 is adapted to admit a mixture of long and short wood fibers and water constituting the tailings or screenings emitted from a pulp mill, into the receiver and below the baffle board, said tailings or screenings being, what I choose to term the stock hereinafter referred to. that any other suitable material may con- This stock is'maintained in the tank at substantially the level indicated by the broken line D, and flows across a short horizontal shelf 4. from the receiver on to an endless main belt strainer E, made preferably out of intermeshing fine wire and traveling over rollers 5 and 6, which are carried respectively by shafts 7 and 8, said Specification of Letters Patent.

' tank.

It will however be understoodshafts in turn being journaled in the sides of the tank. This belt straineris adapted to travel in the direction of the arrows from a low point at one end of the tank immediately below the shelf 4 to a high point at the other end and is mounted upon a carrier belt 9 composed of open work material such as transverse slats carried by endless chains 10, traveling over sprockets 11, said sprockets being mounted upon shafts 12, which are journaled in the sides of said Below each of the sides of the car rier belt 9 is positioned a stationary perforated table such as 13, whichadmitsof the water which is strained by the strainer belt basin H having a suitable outlet (not designated). At the delivery end of the tank end of the strainer belt E are two cooperating expressing or pressure rollers 6 and 14:. The roller 6 receives and carries the strainer Patented June 13, 1916. Application filed August 13, 1914.. Serial No. 856,614.

belt E and a portion of belt F constituting an auxiliary strainer onthe periphery of roller 14 presses against the surface of that portion of the belt E passing around roller 6 so as to express liquid and moisture from the stock. traveling between said belt surfaces. The roller 14 is preferably solid and mounted upon the shaft 15, which in turn is journaled in journal blocks such as 16 gibbed in a guide frame 17 and urged down toward roller 6 by the adjusting springs 18, 7

said springs being held under compression such as by hand operated screws 19 for increasing or decreasing the pressure between the adjacent surfaces of strainer belts E and F. The roller 6 is slatted or perforated so as to drain any residue on the under sur- A face of the upper side of the belt strainer E as'the latter passes around roller 14. i A short plate 20 carried by the sides of the tank is interposed between the end of belt 9 and roller 14, to support the adjacent portion of strainer belt E.

- Placed in the tank and journaled in its sides are a plurality of agitators 21, 22 and 28, the shafts 24 of which carry sprockets 25 which are driven bychain belts 26 and receive initial motion by a pulley 27 and a belt 28 passing over a drive pulley 29 carried by counter shaft 30 journaled on side supports 29. These agitators are for the purposeof keeping the stock in the tank in Inotion and preventing any of the stock which rises to the surface from collecting.

Interposed between the paddle wheels and the pressure roller 14 is said auxiliary belt strainer or evener F, one side of which passes under a series of' idle rollers 35 and around an end idle roller 36 at the receiving end of said series. This strainer which is composed of fine mesh wire receives motion froin the pressure roller 14, around which it i crease pressure upon the stock as they move it forward and eject it.

The seriesof rollers 35 arefsuitably'journaled in a superimposed frame 37, one end of which situated nearest the pressure roller 14 is pivotally supported from the sides of the guide frame 17 by vertically adjustable supports 38. The opposite end of said frame is carried below compression'springs 39 by adjustable supports 40, the latter carrying hand wheels 41 by the turning of which the tension of said springs is varied. At the delivery end of the machine there is a delivery or receiving carrier apron G in the form of anendless slatted apron carried by sprocket wheels and 51'jou'rnaled upon suitable supports 52. Below this slatted apron is a chain belt carrier 53 operating in the same direction as the upper side of carrierbelt G, said chain carrier being employed to carry freely disposed trays such as J forward at the same rate of speed as the apron Gr travels so as to convey the product from apron G-. At the delivery end of the carrier apron G is a slide or chute 54, which is adapted to guide the felted material upon each tray. The chains 53 constituting part of the carrier pass over sprockets 55, the

shafts of which are journaled in the frames 52 and 17.

Suitable driving mechanism is employed for operating the aprons or belts E, F and G, the pressure rollers 6 and 14 and the.

carrier'53 at substantially thesame' surface speed, it being noted that the belt strainer E is moved forwardly and its-upper side sup ported by the slatted apron 9 on the supporting table; 13, so that substantially no tensile strain is imparted to the strainer. The power for driving the-pressure rollers 6 and 14 is transmitted from the main drive pulley 55', through a train of gears 56; shaft 67, journaled in side supports 29', gears 59, shaft 60, gears 68 and 69, the latter gear beingmounted upon shaft 8 carrying 'the roller 6', it being noted that the shafts 1 Sand 15 carry intermeshing gears '57 by which both rollers are caused to revolve at the. same surface speed. The power, for operating the carrier belt 9 is through other pulley 61 on the shaft 71, which carries sprockets 51, over which the belt travels.

The carrier chains 53 for the trays J re-' ceix e driving power from the shaft 71 by sprocket 72 on said shaft, a chain belt 73 sprocket: 74, which is journaled on the frame supports 52 and a pair. of sprockets 75 and 76 over which a chain belt 77 travels, said sprocket 76 being carried by the shaft 78 carrying the outer end of the carrier belt 53.

The tailings or screenings constituting stock as received from a pulp mill are admitted to the receiving portion Bof the tank A and kept at about the levelof line D, see Fig. 4). This stock passes in the v(li-' rection of the arrows under the baffle board 2 and across the short shelf 4 in the tank and on to the upper side of belt strainer E. Immediately the water commences topass through the belt strainer E and slatted apron 9, down into the pit or basin H in 75 traveling over said sprocket and another the lower portion" of the tank and out upper side of the strainer. In order to press out more water and make the sheet of material in prime condition and of suitable even consistency to effectively, submit to necessary pressure for finishing the'felting proc I ess without crushing or squashing, the rollers 35 with the strainer F passing around them, effect a gradual and increaslng pressure upon the mass of wet mushy pulp, so

that by the time it reaches the heavy pressure rollers 6 and 14, it is of. even consistency and shape. -.The thickness of the sheet of 1 material delivered from between the apron or strainers E and F can be varied by the height of the stock line D or by the speed of the slatted carrier belt 9 with the strainer E. The density of the material 1 and also the thickness can be varied by the pressure spring 18. -The belt carrier supported-by the table 13 supports the upper side of the screen E and acts as a parting elementbetween said, parts to prevent thestock adhering to. the table and causing friction and excessive loss of 1 power. It

also prevents loss of product by preventing the same squeezing through the screen. As there is considerable air that gets mixed with the stock when it flows into tank A, there is quite 'an amount of stock that will tend to rise to the surface and gather and float around in bunches, therefore agitators tiligathering the fibrous stock upon the main belt. After the sheet of product has been ejeqted from between the strainers E and F, and delivered upon the delivery carrier G, it is cut by hand to length and then passes down over the chute or slide 54 and on to a tray J which has previously been placed by hand on the carrier belts 53. The tray with the product thereon is then placed in a dry kiln where it is dried. The auxiliary pressing mechanism consisting of the rollers 35 and strainer F can be considerably longer or shorter than as illustrated to accommodate the condition of the stock. Finer stock requires a longer pressing device and coarser stock a proportionably shorter one. If necessary this auxiliarypressing arrangement can be extended back to where the stock is delivered into the tank. The small rollers 67 journaled in the sides of the tank are for the purpose of supporting the strainer E returning to the roller 5 without the prod uct adhering to the surface of its upper side a and can be placed at any necessary points. The slatted carrier belt supporting the strainer belt E and in combination with the auxiliary pressing device consisting of the trainof rollers 35 and strainer F is particularly advantageous by gradually expressing water from the stock as it approaches the pressure rollers 6 and 14 and by preparing the stock, so that it is of even consistency and in prime condition to advance toward the point of greatest pressure. By theuse of the strainer belt E supported by the slatted apron 9 a height of stock canbe secured, which will deposit a much thicker layer of stock upon the screen, than any method heretofore employed, and this in combination with the gradual pressing of the product by strainer F, produces a thick sheet of material having any density that is desired, said sheetbeing of such consistency as to have great tensile strength and to be flexible and tough permitting it to be folded and stored away. This invention has the advantage over a wet machine by being almost unlimited in its capacity to separate the fibers from the water in the stock and by forming the felted stock into a continuous sheet of single thickness instead of in strata.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I

vention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above the surface in motion and the stock and sai set forth within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 2- 1'. A machine of the kind described comprising a tank, an endless strainer belt disposed for movement within said tank, a stationary perforated table for supporting the upper surface of said strainer belt to reduce tensile strain thereon, and a parting element movably disposed between said strainer belt supporting table as and for the purpose specified.

2. A felting machine, comprising, in combination, an endless strainer traveling from a low point to a high point, an endless evener above said strainer and traveling from a high-point to a low. point near the delivery end of said strainer, the high end of said evener being urged downwardly underspring pressure and the low point pivotally supported to permit of said swinging movement, .a stock holding tank in which said strainer and evener are mounted to cause the stock to flow between the adjacent surfaces of said screen and evener, a pair of pressure rollers at the delivery ends of said strainer and evener, the lower of said pressure rollers being composed of open work material to admit of part of the water expressed by the strainer and evener passing below, means for adjusting the pressure exerted by said pressure rollers and a delivery apron arranged to receive the felted productfrom said strainer and evener..

3. A machine of the kind described comprising a tank, an endless strainer belt disposed for movement within said tank, a stationary perforated table spaced below the upper surface of said strainer belt, and a parting element movably disposed between said strainer belt and said table to alleviate friction and loss of power.

from the receiving portion of said tank and between and by which the stock is gathered and strained, a pair of expressing rollers. carrying the delivery portion of said screens and adapted to assist in compressing said stock evenly and express moisture. therefrom, an endless carrier having its upper side supporting the upper side of said lower strainer and assisting in moving the upper side of said lower strainer forwardly and means for actuating said carrier, strainers and rollers at an even advancing, surface speed.

5. A felting machine comprising, in com bination, a tank into which stock is deliv- 7 adapted to flow between them, a pair of pressure rollers at the forward ends of said ered, a pair of upper and lower belts having adjacent sides converging to produce a passage of forward diminishing space in which the stock is formed, means for actuating said belts to advance their adjacent sides and form said stock in said diminishing space, and a carrier belt of open work material having its upper side supporting the upper side of said lower belt, said lower belt being formed of straining'material, and rigid tables supporting the upper and lower sides of said carrier belt.

6. A felting machine, comprising, in combination, a tank into which the stock is delivered, a pair of lower and upper belts having adjacent sides converging to pro-' duce a passage of forward diminishing space in which the stock is formed, means for actuating said .belts to advance their adjacent sides and form said stock in said diminishing space, and a carrier belt. of open work material having its upper side supporting the upper side of said lower belt, said lower belt being formed of straining material.

7. A felting machine, comprising in combination, a pair of lower and upper belts having adjacent converging sides adapted to move together in a forward direction and producing a passageof diminishing thick ness toward their forward ends, means for actuating said belts to advance their adjacent sides, said belts being composed of straining material, a tank containing said belts and in which stock is admitted and belts adapted to supplement the pressure by said belts upon the stock at their delivery ends and said upper belt having its receiving end mounted under downward spring pressure whereby the free end of said up -per belt is urged downwardly upon the stock lying between the adjacent sides of said belts, a carrier belt mounted in said tank andhaving its upper side supporting the upper side of said lower belt, said carrier belt being constructed of open work material to admit of liquid passing 'downwardly 'therethrough and a rigid table supporting the upper side of said carrier belt having passages therethrough for allowing liquid passing downwardlythrough the upper sides of said belt and carrier and a catch basin positioned below said table for the water passing downwardly therethrough.

8. A felting machine comprising, in combination, a pair of lower and upper belts having adjacent sides converging to produce a passage in which stock is formed, said belts being composed of straining material, meansv for actuating said belts to advance their adjacent sides in a forward direction toward their closest ends, a tank into which the stock is delivered having a receiving reservoir from which the stock is passed to distribute the fibers in the stockevenly, a pair of pressure rollers at the forward ends of said belts adapted to cause the forward end of said belts to exert a maximum pressure upon the stock as it passes forwardly, an agitator in said tank adapted to break up the stock as it enters between said belts, a delivery carrier adapted to receive the stock as it egresses from between said belts and means for moving a tray below the delivery end of said delivery carrier to place the felted material thereon.

9. A machine of the kind described comprising a tank, a main endless belt strainer having a low-receiving point and a high de: 1

livery end within said tank, an auxiliary belt strainer, the adjacent faces of said strainers converging toward the delivery end of said main belt, and means for adjusting the degree of convergence of said strainers toward one another.

10. A machine of the kind described comprising a tank, a main endless belt strainer disposed within said tank, and an auxiliary belt strainer pivotally supported at one end above and having its other end urged down wardly under yielding pressure toward said .main belt strainer, for the purposes specified.

11. A machine of the kind described comprising a tank, a main endless belt strainer disposed within said tank, and an auxiliary belt strainer having one end urged downs wardly under yielding pressure toward said mainv strainer and its other end supported by means of a vertically adjustable pivotabove said main strainer, for the purposes specified.

12. A machine of the kind described comprising a tank, a main endless belt strainer disposed within said tank, an auxiliary belt' strainer superimposed above and converging toward said main strainer, and means for agitating stock within said tank and urging in a downward and forward direotion with increasing force between said belts toward the delivery ends thereof, for the purposes specified.

13. A machine of the kind described comprising a tank, an endless belt strainer traveling from a low to a high point within said tank, and meanstraveling from a high to a low point with respect to said strainer for agitating stock within said tank and urging it downwardly and forwardly toward the highend of said strainer, for the purposes specified.

14. A machine of the kind describedcomrisin a tank a air of 006 eratin endless strainer. belts converging toward one another and vdisposed within said tank, and means for agitating and urging stock within said tank forwardly with increasing force between said belts, for the purposes specified.

15. Amachine of the kind described comprising a tank, an inclined endless belt strainer traveling from a low receiving point to a high delivery point, means for feeding stock to be felted directly upon the receiving end of said belt, moisture expressing rollers disposed at the delivery end of said belt, and an endless carrier for receiving and delivering felted stock from said expressing rollers.

16. A machine of the kind described comprising a tank, an inclined endless belt strainer traveling from a low receiving point to a high delivery point, means for feeding stock to be felted upon the receiving end of said belt, moisture expressing rollers disposed at the delivery end of said belt, an endless carrier for receiving and delivering felted stock from said expressing rollers,

and a tray supporting carrier disposed and moving below said endless carrier for transporting sheets of felted stock received from said carrier.

17. A machine of the kind described comprising a tank, an inclined endless belt end of said belt, moisture expressing rollers disposed at the delivery end of said belt, an endless carrier for receiving and delivering felted stock from said expressing rollers, a tray supporting carrier disposed and moving below said endless carrier for transporting sheets of felted stock received from said carrier, and mechanism for actuating said endless belt, expressing rollers, endless carrier and tray carrier in synchronisin.

18. A machine for felting stock consisting of fibers in fluid suspension comprising, in combination, a strainer belt traveling from a low to a high point, means for holding the stock laterally from flowing over the sides of said belt, progressively increasing pressure means cooperating with said belt for expressing moisture from the stock, and means for receiving the fluid stock 'and flowing it evenly and directly upon the low end of said belt, whereby an immediate andprogressive felting action of the stock takes place from the moment the stock is delivered upon the lower end of the belt and continu ously thereafter during its passage toward the high end of said belt.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL G. MUENCH.

Witnesses:

ADEL WALKER, R. RIARD. 

